When Forbes, the 107-year-old international news publication, had questions about the rights of students being disciplined by college campuses across the country in connection with the recent wave of Gaza protests, it turned to Joseph Lento, founder of the Lento Law Firm, for answers. The May 24, 2024, Forbes article discussed how hundreds of students were being disciplined by their schools following on-campus protests. In it, Mr. Lento pointed out that campus disciplinary hearings are typically time-consuming processes, making it far more difficult for a school to discipline 100 or more students than it is for the school to discipline individual students for the usual types of infractions that happen over the course of a typical school year.

If you have been caught up in your school's disciplinary process – whether as the result of participating in a student protest or demonstration, or for any other reason – you have rights under your school's code of conduct as well as under state and federal law. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can help you defend those rights and protect your investment in your education and your future. Call us today at 888.535.3686 or schedule a confidential consultation to learn more about how we can help.

The Wave of Gaza Campus Protests

Following the Hamas attack on Israel in October and Israel's response over the following months, numerous protests took place on college campuses across the country. Demonstrators on both sides of the conflict aired their views and, in some cases, set up encampments or occupied campus buildings. Police intervened in many of these situations, and thousands of college protesters have been arrested at schools from coast to coast.

Many schools reacted quickly, immediately suspending some protestors and notifying others that they were facing discipline under the school's code of conduct. However, student disciplinary processes vary widely, particularly between public and private schools. As Mr. Lento pointed out to Forbes, the “fundamental difference often is that at a public school, a student's going to have traditional due process under the state and federal constitutions, whereas in a private school, those rights are not the same.”

Protecting Yourself in School Disciplinary Proceedings

Whether public or private, your school has a disciplinary policy that it should follow if you've been accused of violating the school's code of conduct. The fact that you were arrested but charges were dropped may not matter; most schools will claim the right to discipline you even when the authorities have decided not to prosecute.

When schools are facing mass disciplinary hearings like those some schools are dealing with following the recent Gaza protests, it can be a significant advantage to have the help of one of the experienced student defense attorneys from the Lento Law Firm. We understand the school discipline rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. We know your rights under the school's own code of conduct as well as under state and federal law. And we know how to talk to school authorities and forcefully negotiate on your behalf to resolve your case quickly and favorably.

Schools also know that the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team won't hesitate to take matters to court if the school is trying to ignore our client's rights. That reputation can make all the difference when it comes to you emerging from your disciplinary proceeding with your college career and record intact.

The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is Here to Help

When Forbes was looking for help understanding the school disciplinary process, the publication turned to Joseph Lento. If you're facing a disciplinary proceeding at your college or university, you should, too. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team will help you understand your case and will step up and vigorously defend your rights. Call us today at 888.535.3686 or schedule a confidential consultation to learn how we can help you protect your future.